Bait-bucket.



No. 706,407. Patented Aug. 5, |902.

J. B. HALL.

' BMT BUCKET.

(Appuusmn mea one. n, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Shania-Sheet l:

No. 706,407. Patented Aug. 5, |902.

J. B. HALL.

BMT BUCKET.

(Appumiwnmui on. 2, 1901.) (Ilo Model.) 3 Shoah-Sheet 2.

W/TNESSES: /N VE N T01? A TTUHNEY No. 706,407. Patented Aug. 5, |9112.

J. B. HALL.

BAIT BUCKET.

(Application led Oct. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Shams-Sheet 3.

Wim/maa 1 @Q @ja-MESEHQZ.

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rino SrarnsA PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. HALL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BAlT-BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION :fo-.ning part of Letters Patent No. 706,407, dated August5, 1902.

Application filed October 2, 1901. Serial No. 77,286. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JAMES B. HALL, a citizen of the United States, Vresiding at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain newr and useful Improvements in Bait-Buckets; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which1o it appertains to make and use the same.

2o ing of the life of the minnoW double the time of the life of the baitcarried in the prior forms of bucket. I make the bucket or box intelescopic sections, two or more, as may be found most expedient, whichwill take up at z 5 most but one-half the space of the ordinaryminnow-bucket when closed, yet When opened for use Will be as large asthe old forms. l I make the sections, one or more, of Woven Wire, orsome suitable reticulated material, or metal 3o provided with suitableholes, so as to admit air all around the sides in addition to theopenings in the lid. Still,when lled to the top of the bottom sectionWillhold as muchwater as can be putin the old style ofbucket of 3 5 thesame capacity Without expelling the air from the bucket and prohibitingthe airfrom circulating, and the Water from'agitating, both of Which areessential to the life of the minnoW. The almost unrestricted admissionof 4o air and the open agitation naturally received from handling willserve to prolong the life of the minnow, and by my construction not onlythe few minnoWs on the top get the air and live While those at thebottom not having air die off rapidly, as in the old forms,

5o is essential to the life of theminnor.

but the entire Water-surface being exposed and air being freely admittedto all parts all of the minnows Will be kept alive. Besides, my bucketcan easily be kept sanitary, which Besides a saving in space when closedI provide ay the ability to iioat in Water.

space that can be occupied for storage, dac., and a full-sizedminnoW-bucket when open or distended foruse.

The bucket may be made of any suitable material and of any preferredshape or dimensions and of any required number of sections made of allWoven Wire or of metal punctured or otherwisey to provide the requisiteairopenings. The sections are made to tit snugly one within the other,so as to beheld frictionally in their adjusted positions, and in someinstances I may provide spring-stays or other means for engaging thesections to give additional support to hold'the bucket open and `make itmore substantial and lrigid for use. Said stays may also serve to holdthe sections closed.

The bucket may be made With or Without When made to float, I prefer thatthis property be given the bucket by placing on the inside of the top arubber or other Waterproof vair-chamber of any desirable shape and sizeto float the bucket and to tthe same, so that the air-chamber or floatmay be'made entirely separate from the bucket and attached and held inposition by its own pressure or by any other suitable means.

In some instances it is desirable to have the bucket so constructed thatbesides the minnows other baitsuch as frogs, crawfish,

i and the like-may be carried, and for this purpose Iprovide a separatecompartment readily accessible Without opening the door to the maincompartment or disturbing the other parts of the bucket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention in its preferable form is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, Which, with the numerals of reference markedthereon, form a part ofthis speciication, and in Which- Figure l is aperspective view of my improved bucket with the parts distended readyfor use. Fig. 2 is a substantially central longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the same with a separate compartment for different Fig. 3`is`asimilar View to varieties of bait.

IOO

lbucket to oat.

Fig. 2 with the separate compartment omitted l shown, and these aredesigned to be grasped and showing the air-chamber adapting the Fig. 4is a substantially` central vertical longitudinal section with thebucket closed and showing tubes for admitting water when desired, thesaid tubes being shown in elevation with parts broken away and portionsin section. Fig. 5 is a substantially central vertical section through abait-bucket provided with a float, telescopic tubes, and separatebait-receptacle.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

`Referring now to the details of the drawings, 1 designates the body ormain or bottom section of the bucket, which may be of any suitablematerial and size and shape, preferably of the oval form shown. It isopen at the top and at opposite ends is provided eX- teriorly with 'thelugs or extensions 2, which serve to receive the feet or other means tohold the same while the sections are being extended, as will be readilyunderstood.

In the present instance I have chosen to show the bucket as composed ofbut two parts-the bottom section just described and a single movablesection 3, which in this in stance is shown as formed of a Woven-wirenetting or the like, With its lower edge secured in a metal strip 4 andits upper edge held in a like metal strip 5, which is extended to formthe lid or cover 6, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, but as the details ofthis mode of connection are not essential and as any other means may besubstituted a further description thereof is not deemed necessary. Thestrip 4 is made to t snugly within the body or main section l, so as tobe held frictionally in any position to which it may be adjusted.

Any suitable means may be provided for preventing the inner section frombeing entirely Withdrawn from the bottom section. This may beaccomplished by reason of the tight fit of the inner section within theother, the walls of the bottom vessel yielding sufticiently to allow ofthe inner section being pulled out till its lower portion reaches thelupperend of the bottom vessel, when by reason of the greater rigidityand unyielding nature of the upper end of the bottom section and of thelower end of the inner section the entire withdrawal of the innersection is prevented. The top of the bottom section might be madeslightly smaller than the bottom or tapered.

It may sometimes be advisable to provide other means for firmly holdingthe sections 3 distended, such as the spring-stays 7, secured at theirlower ends to the main section l and their upper ends bent inward toengage the 'wires of the section 3, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Thesestays are omitted from Fig. 4.

The lid or cover6 is provided With lugs or extensions 8 in verticalalinement with the lugs or extensions 2 of the main section, as

by the hands While the feet are on the said lugs 2 and pressure thenapplied, and the sections are distended and the bucket placed incondition for use. The lid or cover 6 is provided With an openingcovered bya Wire-netting or similar guard or shield 9, this guard beingmovable to permit of the admission and removal of the minnows. This maybe hinged or bodily removable and held by a springcatch or other means.

10 is a handle by which the bucket may be carried.

11 (seen in Fig. is an air-chamber or float of rubber or any othersuitable material adapted to give buoyancy to the bucket. It is shown asfitted with the section 3 adjacent the top and is held in such positionby the pressure of its Walls when distended by the air therein, but itis evident that it may be secured by other or additional means, ifdesired, the manner of connection being not essential. It may beinflated in any suitable manner. (Not shown.) In Figs. l and 2 I haveshown the bucket as provided witha separate compartment for the holdingof frogs, crawfish, or other kinds of bait. It is constructed in thisinstance in this manner, although other means may be provided for thusforming a separate compartxnent.

l2 is a partition, preferably of wire-netting, secured within the mainsection 1 at one end, While secured to the movable section 3 is anotherpartition 13, adapted to move within the compartment formed by thepartition 12 and the end Wall of the main section 1, as seen in Fig. 2,and in the top 6 is an opening closed by a suitable closure 14,preferably retieulated for the admission of air, as seen best in Fig. 1.It Will be seen that by this means the compartment thus formed isseparated from the main portion of the bucket, and the minnows cannotget into the said compartment Whether the bucket be opened or closed.

It it often desirable to admit fresh Water and drive out that which hasbeen contained in the bucket for some time and to do this Withouthandling the minnows or disturbing them or leaving them for any lengthof time Without Water. For this purpose I provide the tubes 15, as shownin Fig. 4, carried by the section 3 and depending Within the mainSection 1, as shown, their upper ends being open or adapted to beclosed, if desired, in any suitable manner. These tubes are herein shownas telescopic,`so that the water when introduced will be forced to thebottom of the bucket, the Water therein being forced out and fresh Waterand air being admitted, thus freshening the water and adding to the lifeof the minnows. These tubes may, if desired,be otherwise disposed; butin all instances they are constructed to serve the same function ofagitating the Water and freshening the same.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a bucket provided with the ioat, telescopictubes, and separate ICC- IIO

bait-receptacle, but it is evident that a bucket may be made With one ormore of these omitted, as illustrated in the other views.

From the above it will be readily seen that I have devised a novel andcheap construction of bait-bucket which can not only be made to occupyminimum space and easily extended ready for use, but Which will preservethe life of the minnows a maximum length of time, can be easilycleansed, carryT different kinds of bait, and Which will iioat ifdropped into the water, and while the structural embodiment of theinvention as herein disclosed is What I at the present time considerpreferable it is evident that variations, changes, and modifications maybe resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages, and I therefore do not Wish torestrict myself to the details of construction herein eX- plained, butreserve the right to make such `changes, variations, and modificationsas come properly Within the scope of the protection prayed.

W'hen the bucket is not in use, it may be used to receive a box carryingthe fishingtackle, dzc. The receptacle for frogs, dac., may sometimes bemade separate, so as to be bodily removable from the bucket.

l/Vhat is claimed as new isl. A bait-bucket made in telescopic sections,frictionally held in position, one of said sections being reticulated,as set forth.

2. A bait-bucket made in telescopic sections frictionally held inposition, one of said sections being reticulated, and stays secured toone section and engagingthe other section for giving additional supportto the movable section, as set forth.

3. A bait-bucket comprisinga main section, and a movable section ofreticulated material having a bottom-holding ring snugly fitting Withinthe main section, as and for the purpose specified.

1. A bait-bucket formed in telescopic sections with the one sectionfitting tightly Within the other to be held frictionally in its adjustedpositions, the upper edge of the movable section and the lower edge ofthe outer section being provided with outwardly-extending lugs as andfor the purpose specified.

5. A bait-bucket formed of telescopic sections one of Which isreticulated, the inner and movable section being provided with anindependent, elastic, inliatable air-chamber serving as a float and heldin position by the distention of the Walls thereof, as set forth.

6. A bait-bucket in telescopic sections provided With a telescopicseparate bait-compartment, as set forth.

7. A bait-bucket in telescopic sections, and provided with tubes for theadmission of Water to the bottom section, as and for the purposespecified.

8. In a bait-bucket the combination with a main section, of a sectionmovable therein, and telescopic tubes carried by the movable section, asset forth.

9. A bait-bucket composed of a main nonreticulated section, areticulated section movable therein and frictionally held in position, apartition Within the main section at one end, and a partition dependingfrom the movable section and movable within the compartment formed bythe partition of the main section, and a removable closure to an openingin the top of the movable section to permit access to said compartment,as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.JAMES B. HALL.

Witnesses:

D. I. BOYD, B. VAN M. LA RUE.

